The Miami Dolphins made Jaylen Waddle the No. 6 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft this past April, placing tons of expectations on a young speedster who the team hopes can reignite his chemistry with his former college quarterback. And with this level of commitment, it is going to be very easy to forecast Waddle into a large role within the Dolphins’ offense — as they clearly have a vision for Waddle and will hope to maximize his potential on the gridiron.
But how big can that workload realistically be in the immediate future? That depends on who you ask. But for Cynthia Frelund of NFL.com, the expectations for the here and now are quite lofty — Frelund has forecast Waddle to be the 3rd most productive wide receiver from the 2021 NFL draft this upcoming season as a rookie.
“Not only will Waddle help Tua Tagovailoa when the second-year signal-caller targets his former college teammate, but the speedy playmaker will also generally command a lot of attention, which will help the whole offense have more space to work with and inherently drive up the unit’s potential to be extremely efficient. Last season, 29.4 percent of Miami’s targets to wide receivers were thrown into tight windows — the highest rate in the NFL, per Next Gen Stats. Over the past two college campaigns, Pro Football Focus ranks Waddle in the top five in yards per route run (3.6, including a robust 4.4 in 2020 alone) and yards after the catch per reception (11.5). My model says his speed when open — i.e., when no defenders are closer than 3 yards — is the fastest in this draft class. And according to PFF, Waddle also had just one drop on 29 catchable passes during his injury-abbreviated 2020 campaign.” — Cynthia Frelund, NFL.com
Waddle trails former college teammate DeVonta Smith and former LSU receiver Ja’Marr Chase on Frelund’s list — with Chase reuniting with his own college quarterback and Smith entering into an environment that will likely require more of him from a volume perspective than Waddle; given the presence of Will Fuller, DeVante Parker and Mike Gesicki in the passing game. While Waddle didn’t bring home the top spot, he did beat out several other early round receivers with his forecast, including Baltimore’s Rashod Bateman and the Jets’ Elijah Moore.